Apparatus and method for the receipt, propping and support of small items, within easy manual accessibility

ABSTRACT

A ring that engages three directly adjacent fingers and is maintained upright relative thereto. A first portion thereof extends around the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers and a second portion thereof extends from the first portion and underlies the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers, and in doing so, maintains a first portion in the upright position. The first portion is substantially ring-shaped and includes a base that overlies the uppermost surface of the middle finger, a pair of legs that depend from the base thereof to terminal ends and overlie opposite sides of the middle finger, and a receptacle that extends upwardly from the base thereof and holds an object. The second portion includes a pair of feet that extend oppositely outwardly from the terminal ends of the pair of legs, respectively, and underlie the remaining outermost pair of fingers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to specialized holders. More particularly it relates to a hand borne ring type holder capable of receiving, propping and supporting small items by effortlessly engaging three directly adjacent fingers, easily maintaining itself upright relative thereto, while simultaneously freeing hands to engage in a multiplicity of tasks.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In today's world of multitasking one is constantly being challenged to perform more, faster, better and more efficiently. Time is a valuable commodity to be divvied up in a manner that will provide the greatest yields. Thus, one often finds them self engaging in more than two things at the same time, i.e. a telephone conversation while simultaneously having to prepare for work, or reading while trying to groom their hands. Tasks that demand maximum freedom of the hands to do what they need to do with a minimum of attention. One such task is the application of nail polish.

[0005] Nail polish is typically a fast drying lacquer, dissolved or dispersed in a highly volatile solvent such as toluene, acetone, etc. Usually it is brush applied. Consequently, nail polish is sold in a small bottle with a very small aperture to reduce evaporation.

[0006] Nail polish is typically applied by a brush which is attached to the bottle cap. The brush is coated with nail polish by being dipped into the bottle and thereafter brushed onto one or more fingernails. Thereafter, it is again dipped into the bottle for recoating it with polish for further application not only to additional fingernails, but also for delivery of additional coats of nail polish to the fingernails already lacquered or coated.

[0007] Such dipping and redipping into the nail polish contained in the small bottle with an even smaller aperture is difficult and cumbersome; particularly when a person is polishing his or her own nails, the bottle is standing at some distance away from the hand being polished and the person is also trying to take care of business on the phone. It becomes almost impossible to avoid smudges of the wet polish on fingernails, or possible spilling of polish onto the hands or adjacent surfaces. The bottle is small and it becomes necessary during the process of polishing one's nails to secure the bottle, by holding it with one hand, while dipping the applicator into the polish in the bottle with the other.

[0008] Polishing one's nails when the level of nail polish in the bottle is low becomes even more difficult as it becomes necessary to tilt the bottle in order to insert the brush more easily and allow it to be coated with polish.

[0009] Similarly, it becomes difficult trying to fasten small screws onto a wall while simultaneously carrying the screw driver, climbing a ladder and holding both the item to be hung and the screws with the other. One can lose their footing, drop the item needing to be hung and dispersing the screws over the entire floor while reaching and struggling to accomplish the tasks. A portable, hand supporting yet simultaneously hand liberating device will go a great way to facilitate both the polish application and the device wall mounting tasks.

[0010] Numerous innovations for nail polish bottle holding devices have been provided in the prior art that are described below. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they do differ from the present invention in that they fail to provide for a tension free, portable hand supporting, concomitantly hand liberating device.

[0011] FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 386,086 to Kotoucek teaches the ornamental design for a fluid dispensing container with finger grooves.

[0012] ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,953 to Marshall et al. Teaches a resilient, V-shaped clamp for support between a person's fingers. The clamp includes a toothed pad to grip around a nail polish bottle, and finger support tabs.

[0013] STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,188 to DeBlasi et al. teaches a nail polish caddy with a U-shaped frame for holding pivotally a rectangular tubular nail polish bottle holder snugly inserted in the tube. The holder's base is seated snugly on the frame and has a rounded edge which enables the holder to pivot in one direction only. The caddy has locking means to restrain the holder tilted at a multiplicity of defined angles.

[0014] YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,070 to Ficcadenti teaches a container with applicator for nail-varnish which can be held interposed between fingers. The container includes a tank provided with a plug having an axial brush, for drawing from the tank and applying the varnish to the nails. The tank has a pair of opposite deep recesses of curved shape, each having such a dimension as to house a finger of the user's hand in order to keep the two fingers spaced apart during the application of nail-varnish.

[0015] STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,711 to Mellon teaches a bottle holding device that has a clamp for gripping a bottle of other container and defining a gripping axis, and a finger gripping arm projecting from the clamp in a direction transverse to the gripping axis. The gripping arm extends at least partially around one of the user's fingers to hold the bottle adjacent the user's fingers in a readily accessible and stable position.

[0016] YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,734 to Trayes teaches a nail polish bottle holder having a receptor well for the bottle and an elongate strap affixed to the well for securing the holder in a convenient place, as for example a woman's wrist.

[0017] It is apparent from the prior art that not only are there numerous innovations for nail polish bottle holding devices, but there are also numerous other devices designed to use in multitasking situations. However, they are not suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a ring type holder capable of effortlessly engaging three directly adjacent fingers capable of being maintained upright relative thereto without any muscle tension whatsoever; and capable of receiving small items and supporting said small items within easy access while simultaneously freeing hands to engage in a multiplicity of tasks.

[0019] ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a ring type holder for engaging three directly adjacent fingers and being maintained upright relative thereto that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0020] STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a ring type holder for engaging three directly adjacent fingers and being maintained upright relative thereto that is simple to use.

[0021] BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a ring type holder that engages three directly adjacent fingers and is maintained upright relative thereto. A first portion thereof extends around the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers and a second portion thereof extends from the first portion and underlies the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers, and in so doing, maintains the first portion in the upright position. The first portion is substantially ring-shaped and includes a base that overlies the uppermost surface of the middle finger, a pair of legs that depend from the base thereof to terminal ends and overlie opposite sides of the middle finger, and a receptacle that extends upwardly from the base thereof and holds an object. The second portion includes a pair of feet that extend oppositely outwardly from the terminal ends of the pair of legs, respectively, and underlie the remaining outermost pair of fingers.

[0022] The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0023] The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows:

[0024]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the present invention in use; and

[0025]FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic perspective view of the area generally enclosed by the dotted curve identified by ARROW 2 in FIG. 1 of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING

[0026]10 ring of present invention for engaging three directly adjacent fingers 12 and being maintained upright relative thereto

[0027]12 three directly adjacent fingers

[0028]14 first portion for extending around and engaging middle finger of three directly adjacent fingers 12

[0029]16 second portion for underlying and engaging remaining outermost pair of fingers of three directly adjacent fingers 12, and in doing so, maintains first portion 14 in upright position

[0030]18 base of first portion 14 for overlying and engaging uppermost surface of middle finger of three directly adjacent fingers 12

[0031]20 pair of legs of first portion 14 for overlying and engaging opposite sides of middle finger of three directly adjacent fingers 12

[0032]22 terminal ends of pair of legs 20 of first portion 14

[0033]24 pair of feet of second portion 16 for underlying and engaging remaining outermost pair of fingers of three directly adjacent fingers 12

[0034]26 receptacle of first portion 14

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0035] Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIG. 1, which is a diagrammatic perspective view of the present invention in use, the ring of the present invention is shown generally at 10 for engaging three directly adjacent fingers 12 and being maintained upright relative thereto.

[0036] The configuration of the ring 10 can best be seen in FIG. 2, which is an enlarged diagrammatic perspective view of the area generally enclosed by the dotted curve identified by ARROW 2 in FIG. 1 of the present invention, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

[0037] The ring 10 comprises a first portion 14 for extending around and engaging the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers 12.

[0038] The ring 10 further comprises a second portion 16 that extends from the first portion 14 and is for underlying and engaging the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers 12, and in doing so, maintains the first portion 14 in the upright position.

[0039] The first portion 14 is substantially ring-shaped, and comprises a base 18 for overlying and engaging the uppermost surface of the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers 12.

[0040] The first portion 14 further comprises a pair of legs 20 that depend from the base 18 thereof to terminal ends 22 and are for overlying and engaging opposite sides of the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers 12.

[0041] The pair of legs 20 are convex for conforming to the opposite sides in the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers 12.

[0042] The pair of legs 20 are spaced apart from each other and separate from each other at the terminal ends 22 thereof so as to allow the pair of legs 20 to move independently of each other and adjust for different sized fingers.

[0043] The second portion 16 comprises a pair of feet 24 that extend oppositely outwardly from the terminal ends 22 of the pair of legs 20, respectively, and are for underlying and engaging the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers 12.

[0044] The pair of feet 24 are separate from each other and convex for conforming to the lowermost surfaces of the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers 12, respectively.

[0045] The terminal ends 22 of the pair of legs 20 joining the pair of feet 24 are rounded for preventing injury to any of the three directly adjacent fingers 12 during use.

[0046] The first portion 14 further comprises a receptacle 26 that extends upwardly from the base 18 thereof and is for holding an object (not shown).

[0047] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

[0048] While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a ring for engaging three directly adjacent fingers and being maintained upright relative thereto, however, it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

[0049] Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A ring for engaging three directly adjacent fingers and being maintained upright relative thereto, said ring comprising: a) a first portion for extending around and engaging the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers; and b) a second portion extending from said first portion and being for underlying and engaging the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers, and in doing so, maintaining said first portion in the upright position.
 2. The ring as defined in claim 1, wherein said first portion is substantially ring-shaped, and comprises a base for overlying and engaging the uppermost surface of the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers.
 3. The ring as defined in claim 2, wherein said first portion further comprises a pair of legs that depend from said base thereof to terminal ends and are for overlying and engaging opposite sides of the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers.
 4. The ring as defined in claim 3, wherein said pair of legs are convex for conforming to the opposite sides of the middle finger of the three directly adjacent fingers.
 5. The ring as defined in claim 3, wherein said pair of legs are spaced apart from each other and separate from each other at said terminal ends thereof so as to allow said pair of legs to move independently of each other and adjust for different sized fingers.
 6. The ring as defined in claim 3, wherein said second portion comprises a pair of feet that extend oppositely outwardly from said terminal ends of said pair of legs, respectively, and are for underlying and engaging the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers.
 7. The ring as defined in claim 6, wherein said pair of feet are separate from each other and convex for conforming to the lowermost surfaces of the remaining outermost pair of fingers of the three directly adjacent fingers, respectively.
 8. The ring as defined in claim 6, wherein said terminal ends of said pair of legs joining said pair of feet are rounded for preventing injury to any of the three directly adjacent fingers during use.
 9. The ring as defined in claim 2, wherein said first portion further comprises a receptacle that extends upwardly from said base thereof and is for holding an object. 